What do you NEED for a new baby?

[hertsnessex]

Hi,

I am trying to compile a list of things you NEED for a new baby, from nursery (i.e cot, moses basket, black out blind, monitor) to clother (babygros, bibs etc) to feeding (nursing bras, tops, nipple creams, bottles etc) and wondered if any of you great MN'ers could help me? Also a list of the things you DONT need would be great.

I really appreciate your help, i am sure i am missing a few things of my list!

TIA,

Cxxxx

OH MY GOD

Did you just mention SWMNBM?
I have the book you so bravely talk of!

Say no more........

Contrary to Love Angel, I definitely did need muslins: it was THE fashion accessory for the new mum, permanently draped over shoulder for burping moments; handy to put on changing mat, for mopping up all sorts, for putting under feeding newborn's hips so that when he did the explosive poo that no nappy could contain, I didn't have to worry about instantly breaking off feeding to clean up him and me.

Also, I did need scratch mits. No matter how often I bit off his nails, he did scratch himself lots - in fact he came out of the womb covered in scratches.

I used wipes and tissue rather than muslin. Sorry!

It depends on the baby really - for example for ds1 I NEEDED muslins as he was constantly sick. For ds2 I NEEDED Lansinoh as he bit a great big hole in my nipple. Dd needed very little really.

In general I think essentials are somewhere to sleep for baby (moses basket/cot), a few sleepsuits and cardigans for the first few weeks/months, somewhere you can 'put them down' - playmat, and a bouncy chair (Baby Bjorn). The bouncy chair may seem like a luxury but it has saved my life with mine. Also a big bottle of gin and a vat of wine is absolutely essential.

what you need
Love, boobs, nappies, babygrows.

what you don't need
any thing that is twice the price just because its "baby".

Anything else you want to get is optional.

Nursing bras make your life more comfy and your less likely to get a blocked duct than if you just haul a regular bra out teh way ( I know I tried, it hurt)

a night nurse

rather cynical i know but my 4 month old is still waking 3 times between 7 and 7.

im knackered

a well stock-freezer with either home made or ready meals - easy to get something to eat if your LO wakes a lot in the evenings.

Material things:
Nappies, babywipes (both cloth obviously! ) babygros, pushchair, carseat, cot.

'Other' things:
Boobs, patience, no disturbances for the first 2 weeks, help/support from someone else either dh/dp or someone close. This is obviously optional but nice if you can get it.

oooh yes and lots of love as babes done give any back till they get to about 8/9 months!
little bleeders! lol

Not much.
For me it would be.
Cot+bedding
Moses basket+bedding
Something to transport baby (sling or pram)
Carseat

Nappies
Nappy cream
change mat
cotton wool

babygros
2 cardigans
1 hat

2 nursing bras

Don't NEED black out blind, monitor, nursing tops, nipple creams, bottles (unless expressing or formula)

and buy the bare minimum until after baby born as then you will have a better idea of what you do need rather than what you might need.

something for it to sleep in, a nice deep drawer would probably do
if you have a car ,a car seat
a pram pushchair or get a sling ,or you can use the pram for it to sleep in till its 3 months
nappies and cotton wool or washable wipes
babygros and a grobag
a snugglesuit if its a british baby,was going to say winter ,but a quick peek outside and you probably need one all year round
oh and
a
nanny

we did need:

carseatsomething with wheels for carrying baby in - pram, from-birth-buggy

*we definitely used our sling loads, ds loved it as was(is) a very huggy baby, v convenient etc ds is 2.7 and we still use it, especially for airport travelling, best thing we bought

*bare minimum newborn size as everyone buys newborn size for presents (unless they are parents themselves and remember!) and they grow so fast. ds was out of newborn size by week 2

*sunshade for buggy - we use it every day not just when it´s sunny, but also if ds goes to sleep in the buggy as it makes it dark, keeps noise out a bit and when he was smaller helped him fall asleep as he couldn't see much so less stimulation

*a book recommendation from a different point of view to the previous book choice !! "three in a bed" by deborah jackson and "no cry sleep solution" by elizabeth pantley. Both very gentle and loving books.

*other paraphernalia: baby monitor, bouncy chair ooooh yes, pile of muslins, socks from Gap (pp is 100%right, only ones that stay on)

Didn't need:
*top and tail bowl (cat uses it now, is very happy with it I believe)
*changing table (put changing mat on top of chest of drawers and tied it on, later just used it on the bed)
*nappy disposal thingy (got given one as a present, just stank, was a pain to empty and the refils cost a bomb)

There must be more but I have waffled on for long enough as usual....

didn´t mean to shout CARSEAT! just mucked up the asterisks! doh

nooooooo

you DON'T need lots of stuff. You DON'T

save the money and buy a nice frock. Seriously

you need

-some babygros, socks, cardis, etc

-some nappies. reusables if you want to save money/warm glow

-breasts (or bottles + paraphrenalia)

-a sling or pushchair

THAT IS ALL!

and remember that Mothercare remains open EVEN in the days directly after your dc is born.

Chocolate. Lots and lots of very nice chocolate.

Would add a good nursing bra or two to Fillyjonk's list. One from John Lewis, NOT from Mothercare. And I would probably swap the cardis for poppered vests unless your baby's due after September. I knitted DS 20 little cardis. They were beautiful and the knitting was therapeutic, but not one of them made it onto his back.

When you're looking for a sling, look online - not in Mothercare or John Lewis, coz you'll end up with a Baby Bjorn or something similar, and will then end up thinking dark thoughts about the expense 3 or 4 months down the line.

Thank you guys so much - this has been a great help.

cx

I think you need to think about how you want to look after the baby to assess what you need.

e.g. if you are going to bottle feed, you will definitely need bottles, sterilizer etc, but won't need feeding bra, but if you are intending to breastfeed, you definitely will need feeding bra, and may or may not need sterilizer etc depending on whether you are going to give expressed milk (in which cas you will also need a breast pump).

If you are going to have the baby sleep in your bed, then you won't need Moses basket etc, and if you are going to carry the baby everywhere with you, you won't need a monitor.

If you are mostly using cotton wool and water for bum-wiping purposes, then a top and tail bowl is very handy, but if you are mostly going to use wipes it is a waste of space.

So my advice is work out how you think you'll want to do things before spending the money.

hertsnessex - just realised you were the OP! So is this list for you...or are you just doing some market research? for your clients ?

yep, trying to gather a list together - i wrote one - but i have missed off a few things - doesnt say alot for me considering i have to children already!

cx

Breasts with milk in
Nappies
Earplugs
Mumsnet

Oh a few clothes,somewhere for it to sleep and something to cart it around in.

HTH.

I think my one indulgence apart from the essentials (listed by several others so I won't repeat) was a nice changing mat with a picture I liked. And I'm really glad because I spend so long looking at it, it's definitely worth it. Mine has Lumpy the heffalump from Winnie The Pooh and it's really cute - every nappy change makes me smile (well not quite, but you get the idea).

I'm expecting no6 and imo for the first 6 weeks this is what you need....

• a pair of breasts,( very important ).
• 6-8 plain white cotton stretch suits in first/second size,( first size only if, like mine, your babe is a titch..mixture for medium cooked babies..second size only for biggies say over 8.5lbs ).
• 6-8 plain white cotton bodysuits.
• 3 cardies/fleeces.
• 2 cotton hats.
• 6 small cotton cellular blankets,( they can be blankets/sheets/towels/nappy changing mats etc ).
• a sling.
• 25 washable nappies,( mix of first/second size depending on baby size )
• 1 or 2 packs of eco-disposables.
• a moses basket/small cosy carrycot.

That is honestly all you need as people will deluge you will useful/useless stuff...presents/hand-me-downs.etc.

If you are tempted to sped £zillion on some outlandish mode of baby transport.....just think how nice it would be to spend that money on a lovely weekend away post-baby. Borrow your friend/relative's !!

oh baby bjorn is very good, i think

its a good all round sling. if you are unsure about sling use, PERSONALLY I'd get one, and upgrade to a ring sling or similar, or an ergo, preferably by going to a shop and trying on several with your baby there.

If and when I have another one, I will definitely be using a sling from the word go. And not one of those structured ones either, a real hippyish attachment parenting one. That's one of my regrets this time round.